One thing that has always been true about the NFL is that for every offensive innovation, a defensive genius will come up with a counter. Bill Walsh makes the West Coast offense his own personal brand? Fine. Dick LeBeau will come back with the zone blitz, and Monte Kiffin will perfect the Tampa-2. You want to run out of passing formations, Mr. Smarty-Pants offensive coordinator? That's just dandy -- defenses will sub in "Big Nickel" packages and interchangeable safeties to mess up your little plans.

And with the NFL's increasing reliance on spread formations -- not just spread concepts, but actually widening a defense by lining up outside the numbers on both sides -- defenses are changing their games by using linebackers that, 10 years ago, may have been seen as safety prospects. In the 2012 NFL Draft, only one drafted inside linebacker (Dont'a Hightower of the New England Patriots) weighed in at over 250 pounds, and the rookies who set the pace at that position were not at all like the "thumper" templates of years past.

Now, defenses look for half-field defenders to supplement their ever-increasing nickel and dime packages, and linebacker prospects must be seen to cover more ground than ever. You can't hit a run fit like Dick Butkus or Mike Singletary or Ray Lewis? That's fine -- it's not what the NFL generally requires of you anymore, anyway. The three players who led the NFL in tackles among rookies -- Carolina's Luke Kuechly, Seattle's Bobby Wagner, and Tampa Bay's Lavonte David -- averaged 239 pounds in their scouting combine weights.

Kuechly was the only one of the three to be classified as an inside linebacker, but all three of those players lined up in a lot of situations in which they could better be designated as left or right 'backers on a down-to-down basis. All three players were better prepared to do that than to come downhill and blow up a fullback, and that was okay -- most of the time, the fullback wasn't on the field, anyway.

Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN's NFL Matchup, a man who has been following NFL trends since the late 1970s, says that the evolution of the linebacker position is a matter of specific need regarding how offenses have expanded.

"You're dealing with the change in the NFL game to a lot more spread formations, regardless of down and distance, and a lot fewer two-back sets with the iso-lead style run game," Cosell recently told Shutdown Corner. "Teams still do that, but it's no longer viewed as how teams win or lose in the NFL anymore. Nobody goes into a draft room and says, 'In order to be a contender for a championship, we have to defend the iso lead.' Whereas people do go into draft rooms saying, 'We need to defend against spread passing games.'

"So, it's natural that linebackers would end up having to be quicker, faster, and rangier, and able to move sideline to sideline. Nobody goes into a draft thinking that they need that 250-pound base personnel linebacker anymore. You must defend spread, and if teams go with 3-by-1 receiver sets, and number 3 is a wide receiver, that puts a linebacker on him. The Lavonte Davids and Bobby Wagners have a far better chance of ... not locking them up man to man, but at least running with them, and staying with them longer, and playing to their help, than a 250-pound thumper."

And all three of those players showed those specific attributes on their college tape. Boston College's Kuechly may have been the best seam coverage linebacker to come out since Brian Urlacher, who frequently played a hybrid safety position when he played for New Mexico. Nebraska's David was a box player at times, but proved to be superlative in coverage when asked, and Utah State's Wagner excelled when he was the only player set up at linebacker depth.

This draft class is similar in that Notre Dame's Manti Te'o is the only "draftable" inside linebacker listed in NFL Draft Scout's rankings that weighs over 250 pounds, and he may very well choose to shave a few pounds before the scouting combine. Perhaps the best example this year of the linebacker who can cover ground as the new NFL requires is Georgia's Alec Ogletree, who is listed in NFLDS' profile at 6-foot-3 and 234 pounds. He's also listed as an outside linebacker, but as we have seen, those specific designations are losing traction. Watch Ogletree's game tape, and you'll see him taking off like a scalded dog in a lot of two-inside 'backer sets.

And as Cosell said, that fits what the league wants these days.

"If you look at what [Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith] does, he's always had two stack linebackers -- not necessarily a Mike [middle linebacker] or a Will [weakside linebacker]. A lot of teams are moving in that direction, because you need guys who can run. These guys are becoming more valuable in base defenses, because if you're playing the Patriots ... no linebacker is as big as Rob Gronkowski, we know that, but you still need a guy who can match up athletically."

And that's why Ogletree, LSU's Kevin Minter (more of a traditional thumper who can also move in space), Arthur Brown of Kansas State, Rutgers' KhaseemGreene, Sean Porter of Texas A&M, and UConn's Sio Moore will be attractive candidates for early-round picks, despite the fact that Minter and Moore are the only ones in that group weighing in at 240 pounds or more. Inside 'backers Kiko Alonso of Oregon and Florida's Jon Bostic should also gain advantage as the pre-draft process goes along, and more NFL teams realize that the curve is now weighed heavily in favor of the lighter guys.

That's, uhhh, a lot of Tackles that are signed to the 2013 roster. That's actually probably more than you'd want on the active roster, but Schilling makes up for it by also being able to play Guard (I think, things change with Zone Blocking).

Clary has his haters, but he was the 38th best Tackle in the entire league in 2012 according to Pro Football Focus. He rated out at about average for his blocking skills across the board, but was the second best Tackle in the league at not creating/causing penalties.

Gaither is the key here. When Jared played, he played well and the offensive line was transformed by it. Mike McCoy and Tom Telesco could make the decision to try and repair the damage caused by Gaither's first season in San Diego, but most of the rumors coming out have the team either releasing the big Tackle or trying to find another way out of the contract they signed with him last offseason.

If staff is dead-set on immediately switching to a Zone Blocking scheme, Haslam and Harris would seemingly be good fits for it. Sounds like I have some work to do on a couple of "Cut Him or Keep Him?" polls for Gaither and Clary.

Now, as for the free agents. If the Chargers were to get rid of Gaither (and maybe Clary?), and if they weren't comfortable with starting Harris and Haslam, they would need at least one Tackle to come in and plug the hole. Who is out there?

Jake Long, Miami Dolphins - Remember this? Well, that was back in the days of Norv Turner and Power Blocking schemes. If the Chargers were to sign a big-time free agent Tackle to a long-term deal this offseason, it would have to be someone they could build their Zone Blocking scheme around. That's probably not Jake Long. The Dolphins switched to ZBS in 2012, Long struggled and the team is content to let him go to team with a PBS.

Brandon Albert, Kansas City Chiefs - Many Chiefs fans think that the team would rather let Dwayne Bowe leave via free agency than Albert, which means he'll probably get franchised. If he does not, he'd be a fine Tackle to come in and replace Jared Gaither as the team's Left Tackle.

Ryan Harris, Houston Texans - Harris is mostly here for backup purposes. He started just 2 games last season for the Texans, and those are his only 2 starts since 2010. That being said, he was quite good as a backup and actually graded out better than Jake Long in 2012. He would provide the Chargers excellent depth at a tumultuous time.

Winston Justice, Indianapolis Colts - Tom Telesco and Ryan Grigson brought the former Eagle to the Colts last year on a 1-year contract, and he performed well enough to justify his $1.5 million price tag. Is he a fit for Zone? Probably not. He'd be better suited for a team that could take a chance as him as a backup that can fight for a starting position without having to keep a guy like Gaither on the roster.

See? Not much there if the Chiefs manage to retain Albert. If the Chargers want to replace their current Tackles with guys that aren't on the roster, their best bet is probably to sign someone like Ryan Harris as a backup plan for a high draft choice coming in to play Tackle.

Over the next few weeks, "Shutdown Corner" will pay homage to "Office Space" (TPS reports) as we take a quick look back at each team's 2012 season and a look at what lies ahead for the 2013 offseason. We continue in the AFC West with the San Diego Chargers.

2012 record: 7-9

What went wrong: Midway through a Monday Night Football game against theDenver Broncos on Oct. 15, the Chargers had a 24-0 lead and were cruising into their bye week with a 4-2 record and in the pole position in the AFC West. The Chargers would blow that lead, as the Broncos ticked off 35 unanswered points, including two touchdowns scored off turnovers. Following the bye after that heartbreaking loss, the Chargers would lose five of their next six games, sinking the team's playoff hopes and ultimately costing GM A.J. Smith and head coach Norv Turner their jobs.

The Chargers' problems in 2012 were primarily on the offensive side of the ball. The Chargers ranked 31st in total offense, averaging under 300 yards per game (297.3) and just 91.3 yards on the ground as injury-prone running back Ryan Mathews played in under 40 percent of the offensive snaps and averaging just 3.8 yards per carry behind a frequently shuffled offensive line that saw undrafted rookie Mike Harris take more snaps at left tackle than Jared Gaither, who the team re-signed to a four-year, $24.5 million contract last March. That offensive line allowed 49 sacks, fourth-most in the NFL, and a number that had the Chargers ranked 32nd in Football Outsiders' "Adjusted Sack Rate" statistic.

Though Philip Rivers would take every snap and pass for over 3,600 yards with 26 touchdowns, the veteran quarterback turned the ball over 22 times, including a few that went the other way for touchdowns. Including the two return touchdowns in the disastrous loss to the Broncos, Rivers cost the Chargers a chance to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when, with the Chargers trailing by three and in field goal range in the fourth quarter, he threw the ball right to Buccaneers rookie cornerback Leonard Johnson, who returned the interception 83 yards for a back-breaking touchdown.

Former GM Smith whiffed in free agency, letting another running back (Mike Tolbert, after failing to re-sign Darren Sproles after the lockout) walk and spent $15 million in 2013 cash, and $20 million in total guarantees, to sign wide receivers Robert Meachem and Eddie Royal after receiver Vincent Jackson left for greener (five-years, $55.555 million) pastures in Tampa Bay. Meachem and Royal combined for 37 receptions, 441 yards and three touchdowns. If you want a draft whiff, look no further than Jonas Mouton, a 2011 second-round pick who has one tackle, on special teams, in 16 career snaps (five on defense, 11 on special teams) over the last two seasons.

What went right: The Chargers defense finished in the Top 10 in total defense and were solid against the run, allowing 96.4 yards per game, which ranked sixth in the NFL, and 3.8 yards per rushing play, which ranked fifth. According to Football Outsiders, the Chargers ranked eighth in special teams DVOA as kickers Nate Kaeding and Nick Novak missed just two field goal attempts in 2012, both from beyond 50 yards.

Individually, wide receivers Malcom Floyd and Danario Alexander had solid seasons, combining for 93 receptions, 1,472 yards and 12 touchdowns as both were ranked in the Top 20 in Football Outsiders' receiving DYAR (Defense-adjusted Yards Above Replacement) metric. Alexander, a restricted free agent with a shaky injury history, ranked first in FO's DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average) metric, while Floyd was third. Antonio Gates got through the season healthy and played in over 80 percent of the offensive snaps, though his production dipped to 49 receptions for 538 yards, but with seven touchdowns.The Chargers defense did not place any players in the Pro Bowl, though safety Eric Weddle certainly deserved to go and was named second-team All-Pro. The Chargers received solid individual performances from defensive linemen Corey Liuget (seven sacks, nine passes defensed) and Kendall Reyes, a 2012 second-round pick who had 5.5 sacks in just over 50 percent playing-time.

Coaching/front office changes: With the Chargers set to miss the playoffs for the third straight season, reports out of San Diego in early December were that Dean Spanos had made the decision to part ways with general manager A.J. Smith and head coach Norv Turner. On the day after the regular season finale, Spanos made those changes and the search for a new GM led them to Tom Telesco, who was the director of football operations for the Indianapolis Colts. The Chargers were already believed to be interested in Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians to replace Turner, but the team raided their AFC West rival Denver Broncos to hire offensive coordinator Mike McCoy, who has retained John Pagano as defensive coordinator.

Estimated 2013 cap space: $6.7 million

Possible cap casualties: Last March, the Chargers re-signed nose tackle Antonio Garay to a back-loaded, two-year, $6.6 million contract. In the first year of that deal, Garay earned $1.6 million and, in just eight games, had 16 tackles and a sack. With Cam Thomas ready to take over at nose tackle, the Chargers could save $5 million in cash and cap space by releasing the 33-year-old Garay, who has a $1.5 million roster bonus due on March 16 and is scheduled to earn $3.5 million in base salary. Veteran inside linebacker Takeo Spikes had a reduced role in 2012 and is scheduled to earn $3 million in base salary in the final year of his contract. Considering the Chargers' lack of depth at inside linebacker, a restructure is more likely, but Spikes' $3.7 million cap number can be reduced to reflect his reduced role on defense.Wide receiver Eddie Royal was a bit of a disaster, catching just 23 passes for 234 yards and a touchdown in the first season of a three-year, $13.5 million contract. Royal is due $3 million in non-guaranteed base salary and his release would save that cash and free up $1.5 million in cap space.

RFA tender amounts in 2013 are:• $1.323 million for right of first refusal and/or original draft round compensation• $2.023 for right of first refusal and second round draft selection• $2.879 for right of first refusal and first round draft selection

Franchise Tag candidates: The Chargers have two key free agents – guard Louis Vasquez and cornerback Antoine Cason – but neither are expected to receive the franchise tag. Vasquez has started 54 games over the last four seasons, including 16 games in 2012, but the cost of using the franchise tag on an offensive lineman next season is projected to cost $9.676 million, based on a projected league-wide cap number of $121.1 million. Cason, a first-round pick out of Arizona in 2008, has not missed a game during his five-year career and has been a full-time starter the last three seasons. To franchise the 6-foot-1, 195-pound Cason would cost the Chargers an estimated $10.686 million in 2013.

Footy season just getting under way down here, nice to finally get the PEDs story off the front pags at least for a few hours and ofcourse this story, which brings this Country together like few others can.....

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Both Woodson and Freeney let go I see, be interesting to see what teams are willing to spend huge $$$$$s on longtime vets in '13, you know it will happen, but hey, if they can get 2 or 3 productive years out of them still, the money will be well spent in my opinion.

Both Woodson and Freeney let go I see, be interesting to see what teams are willing to spend huge $$$$$s on longtime vets in '13, you know it will happen, but hey, if they can get 2 or 3 productive years out of them still, the money will be well spent in my opinion.

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Woodson is 36, and Freeney was only effective in a 4-3 defense. There may be suitors, but I wonder if they can really get big money at this point.